Dr. Paul Gleason
English 303
December 4, 2008
The Complete Persepolis - A Favorite Ten Pages
Introduction
This essay will look at pages three, four, five, fourteen, fifteen, forty, forty-one, forty-three, and
one hundred forty through one hundred forty two of Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel The Complete
Persepolis. The essay will look at the text-self stage, text-text stage, and conclude with the text-
world stage.
Text-self Stage
Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel The Complete Persepolis was a real eye opener for me and
after reading it, I realized just how much I didn’t know about the conflicts in Iran. I knew things in Iran
hadn’t been good for years, but I never realize just how much change the people of Iran, especially
the women, faced and what they all went through.
Although the book is packed with a tremendous amount of information on how the people of Iran
Although the book is packed with a tremendous amount of information on how the people of Iran
had to live, I chose the various pages of the graphic novel because these are the pages I can relate to the most. This is not to say that I don’t keep up with the news, it’s just that you hear so much, that you tend to forget much of what you read in the newspaper, hear on the radio, or see on television.
I believe I can relate to the first three pages, because it came at a time, when like the people of Iran were making major changes in how they were living, I too was making major changes in my life. In 1979, the year when the revolution in Iran occurred, I bought my first house and my wife and I were getting ready for our wedding. We were setting up a new household and learning how to manage responsibilities. We had to make major changes in how we did things because now we had to address these responsibilities. The only difference was the changes we had to make were far more enjoyable than the changes the people of Iran had to make.
As the revolution was taking place, the United States was keeping a close on eye on everything. I remember watching the news and seeing how the people of Iran had to make changes and how their government was forcing them to do things they never did before. I remember watching the nightly news and seeing the demonstrations and fighting that was taking place. On page three Satrapi illustrates how the revolution took place (Satrapi, 3). The illustration is mild compared to the actual scenes on the news. On the same page, Satrapi illustrates the wearing of the veils by young girls and all women (Satrapi, 3). I remember saying to my wife how terrible it was that the women were treated so poorly and how they were made to wear the black clothing and veils. On pages four and five Satrapi goes on to illustrate how people demonstrated to protest the changes that were taking place and how they had to altar their appearance during these demonstrations so as not be recognized in fear of retaliation (Statrapi, 4-5). It made me feel very lucky to live in a country that allows us to have the freedom we have.
As Americans, we watched what was unfolding in Iran, the most devastating news for the United States came in September of 1979, when the American Embassy in Iran was taken over and that ninety Americans were being held hostage. The big question on everybody’s mind was; what is this going to lead to? Will the hostages be killed? Will the United States go to war? Will the United States run out of oil? Our economy wasn’t in the best of shape as it was, we were at the beginning stages of a recession, we were in the middle of an oil shortage, and many people were being laid off. It was something the United States wanted to settle quickly. Unfortunately, it lasted much longer than expected.
Things continued to develop in Iran. On pages fourteen and fifteen Satrapi talks about the theater that was locked from the outside, with people inside, and set on fire. She talks about how the police wouldn’t let anybody rescue any of the people inside (Satrapi, 14). I remember seeing this on the Nightly News and thinking what a horrible death the people inside experienced. I couldn’t imagine someone doing something that horrible to innocent people. Satrapi states how the Shah blamed the massacre on a group of religious fanatics, but how everyone knew it was the Shah’s fault (Satrapi, 15).
The Shah was becoming a very unpopular person and his removal was requested. Satrapi talks about how massacres occurred one after another (Satrapi, 40). The Shah’s removal came in 1980 toward the end of the Carter Administration. I remember how the Shah wanted refuge in the United States but President Carter wouldn’t allow it. Satrapi mentions how President Carter refused him refuge but Anwar Al-Sadat would (Satrapi, 43). I remember how the United States citizens didn’t want the Shah brought here; not only because of the hostage situation, but for the atrocities he did in Iran.
On pages one hundred forty through one hundred forty two Satrapi addresses the bombings the Iraqi forces dealt on Iran. How innocent people died because of these attacks and how one of Marjanes friends became a victim of the attacks (Satrapi, 142). I see this as the start of the terrorist attacks that are so common today and how Iran is known to be a leading supporter of terror attacks.
Satrapi’s The Complete Persepolis indeed made me think back to what had transpired in Iran. It wasn’t a pretty time and I remember the hard feelings the United States had toward this country and the negative feeling toward the people of that country. I think that I’m more amazed at how much transpired that I wasn’t aware of.
I believe I can relate to the first three pages, because it came at a time, when like the people of Iran were making major changes in how they were living, I too was making major changes in my life. In 1979, the year when the revolution in Iran occurred, I bought my first house and my wife and I were getting ready for our wedding. We were setting up a new household and learning how to manage responsibilities. We had to make major changes in how we did things because now we had to address these responsibilities. The only difference was the changes we had to make were far more enjoyable than the changes the people of Iran had to make.
As the revolution was taking place, the United States was keeping a close on eye on everything. I remember watching the news and seeing how the people of Iran had to make changes and how their government was forcing them to do things they never did before. I remember watching the nightly news and seeing the demonstrations and fighting that was taking place. On page three Satrapi illustrates how the revolution took place (Satrapi, 3). The illustration is mild compared to the actual scenes on the news. On the same page, Satrapi illustrates the wearing of the veils by young girls and all women (Satrapi, 3). I remember saying to my wife how terrible it was that the women were treated so poorly and how they were made to wear the black clothing and veils. On pages four and five Satrapi goes on to illustrate how people demonstrated to protest the changes that were taking place and how they had to altar their appearance during these demonstrations so as not be recognized in fear of retaliation (Statrapi, 4-5). It made me feel very lucky to live in a country that allows us to have the freedom we have.
As Americans, we watched what was unfolding in Iran, the most devastating news for the United States came in September of 1979, when the American Embassy in Iran was taken over and that ninety Americans were being held hostage. The big question on everybody’s mind was; what is this going to lead to? Will the hostages be killed? Will the United States go to war? Will the United States run out of oil? Our economy wasn’t in the best of shape as it was, we were at the beginning stages of a recession, we were in the middle of an oil shortage, and many people were being laid off. It was something the United States wanted to settle quickly. Unfortunately, it lasted much longer than expected.
Things continued to develop in Iran. On pages fourteen and fifteen Satrapi talks about the theater that was locked from the outside, with people inside, and set on fire. She talks about how the police wouldn’t let anybody rescue any of the people inside (Satrapi, 14). I remember seeing this on the Nightly News and thinking what a horrible death the people inside experienced. I couldn’t imagine someone doing something that horrible to innocent people. Satrapi states how the Shah blamed the massacre on a group of religious fanatics, but how everyone knew it was the Shah’s fault (Satrapi, 15).
The Shah was becoming a very unpopular person and his removal was requested. Satrapi talks about how massacres occurred one after another (Satrapi, 40). The Shah’s removal came in 1980 toward the end of the Carter Administration. I remember how the Shah wanted refuge in the United States but President Carter wouldn’t allow it. Satrapi mentions how President Carter refused him refuge but Anwar Al-Sadat would (Satrapi, 43). I remember how the United States citizens didn’t want the Shah brought here; not only because of the hostage situation, but for the atrocities he did in Iran.
On pages one hundred forty through one hundred forty two Satrapi addresses the bombings the Iraqi forces dealt on Iran. How innocent people died because of these attacks and how one of Marjanes friends became a victim of the attacks (Satrapi, 142). I see this as the start of the terrorist attacks that are so common today and how Iran is known to be a leading supporter of terror attacks.
Satrapi’s The Complete Persepolis indeed made me think back to what had transpired in Iran. It wasn’t a pretty time and I remember the hard feelings the United States had toward this country and the negative feeling toward the people of that country. I think that I’m more amazed at how much transpired that I wasn’t aware of.
Text-Text
There are many literary theorists out there with many views on life and why cultures live the way they do or are represented the way they are. Edward Said is one of those literary theorists who have a strong voice on the Orient. Said’s book Orientalism offers many views on the Orient and how it had developed over the years. After reading many pages of his book, I’m not sure if I truly understand the many points he is trying to make. I do understand that Said looks at people in places such as Iran in much different way and not in the way that people do in the west. As far as it goes, many people in the United States feel the people in Iran are evil and no good. They live a barbaric way of life and basically have no regards for life. Said basically disputes this claim as being untrue and reminds us that this is just a western way of thinking. When one really thinks about it, Iran only saw changes over the past thirty years and especially since the revolution.
Said does elaborate on how many Americans relate Orientalism as being more associated with far eastern areas such as China and Japan. To be truthful, I guess I felt the same way about this. I would have never associated “Oriental” with places like Iran. Said states: “Orientalism, a way of coming to terms with the Orient that is based on the Orient’s special place in European Western experience” (Said, 1). Said points out that the Orient is adjacent to Europe and a place of Europe’s richest and oldest colonies.
Said looks at how the people of the Orient, especially Arabs, Palestinians, and others especially those living in the West (United States) as people who politically do not exist and how racism and stereotypes run wild among these people. For example in the United States we think that all women in Iran dress in dark clothing and veil all the
time. Both inside the home and outside the home they must dress like this. This is a typical stereotype that is not true. Yes, they must dress like this outside the home but in their homes they dress in ordinary clothing and very much resemble the people of the west.
Said looks at a lot of aspects of the Orient and I’m seeing similar comparisons to how Satrapi illustrates the people of Iran. Many of the people in Iran are average people who are trying live safe and normal lives. Most of the people aren’t evil or out to cause trouble, they just follow the rules to live a respectable life.
Looking at other examples; one movie that I feel gives a good representation of life in Iran and what Marjane Satrapi portrays in her graphic novel is Not Without My Daughter. This was an excellent movie starring Sally Field and what she needed to do to get her and her daughter back to the United States safely.
After thinking she was just going on a vacation to visit her in-laws and more or less being tricked by her husband, Sally Field found her family becoming a permanent residence of Iran. Like Satrapi illustrates on pages three through five the women were made to were the black veil and dress. The movie portrays this well when Sally Field arrives in Iran. Even though Sally Field was just a visitor, her husband’s family insists that she cover her head and wear appropriate clothing or face possible arrest because she isn’t following the laws of the country. It also portrays how woman had little rights and how women had to do what they were told or face consequences.
Sally Field could have returned to the United States with no problem at all but she would have had to leave her daughter behind. Without the consent of her husband and the fact that women had little rights, the daughter would have to stay with her dad. The movie confirms much of what Marjane Satrapi portrays in her graphic novel.
On the other hand being a movie made and produced in the west, there are some things that are represented incorrectly. Satrapi makes it quite clear that the women in Iran have to dress appropriately outside of their homes but they may dress in regular clothing when they are inside their homes. In Not Without My Daughter you see the women dress in the dark clothing and veils when they’re in the house as well. A typical western stereotype that is not true according to Satrapi and Said.
Text-World
It has been almost thirty years since the revolution in Iran, and the many changes the Iranian people had to make. Have things gotten better in Iran? Not really! As far it goes the world faces many challenges with Iran.
One of the most deadly threats the world faces with Iran is terrorism and the United States is very concerned with this situation. We have been fairly fortunate in the United States with attacks being minimal. Unfortunately, the attack on the Twin Towers in New York wasn’t a small attack and thousands died because of it. Was Iran part of this attack? The answer is unclear but many in the United States feel that Ayatollah Khomeini had something to do with it. Other countries face attacks weekly, sometimes daily. Not all of course directly related to Iran but something that is becoming a world issue.
An Internet article titled “Iran and Terrorism – State Sponsored Terrorism in Iran” points out that the United States considers Iran to be the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism. Terrorism is something that needs to be taken very seriously all over the world. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was formed in 1979 by Ayatollah Khomeini following the revolution in Iran to protect and promote the objectives of the revolution. The article talks about how the Qods (Jerusalem) Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is responsible for extraterritorial operations, including terrorist operations. There main focus is to train Islamic fundamentalist terrorist groups. The article goes on to talk about how state sponsored terrorism uses surrogates as its weapon to attack other people. Lebanese Hezbollah is an example of what is considered to be a surrogate of Iran.
It always amazes me that terrorism is something that is so widely accepted by some countries. To be honest, terrorism worries me greatly. It seems like a person could be in great danger no matter where they go. Whether you are flying in a plane, riding on a train, or attending a festival such as Summerfest a person could face a terrorist attack. I feel we are very lucky to live in the United States where such attacks are rare. Unfortunately, it’s been said that the United States faces more attacks in the future. I have confidence that the United States is doing everything possible to block any terror attacks on our country.
Conclusion
Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel The Complete Persepolis is an outstanding book that fills the reader with so much good information about Iran, the government, the people, and how the people are made to live. So many times we hear people complaining about the United States and the way things are handled here. Reading The Complete Persepolis I feel we are very lucky to live where we do.
Work Cited
Not Without My Daughter. Dir. Brian Gilbert. 1991. DVD. Metro Golden Meyer.
Said, Edward W. Orientalism. New York: Vintage Books, 1979.
Satrapi, Marjane. The Complete Persepolis. Trans. Mattias Ripa and Blake Ferris.
New York: Pantheon, 2007.
Zalman, Amy, Ph.D. About.com. Iran and Terrorism – State Sponsored Terrorism in
Iran
